Rep. Junie Joseph Condemns Trump Administration Cuts to Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 24, 2026

BOULDER, CO — Colorado State Representative Junie Joseph is condemning the Trump administration’s decision to terminate $68 million in federal grants for teen pregnancy prevention programs, calling the cuts a dangerous contradiction from an administration that is increasingly restricting reproductive healthcare while eliminating programs designed to help young people prevent unintended pregnancies.

In July, more than 50 organizations receiving funding through the federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program were notified that their grants were being terminated. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services then issued new funding guidance emphasizing abstinence and moving away from the program’s previous focus on comprehensive, evidence-based sexual health education and contraception.

“You cannot tell young people they have to carry a pregnancy, take away their access to reproductive healthcare, and then cut the programs that help prevent unintended pregnancies in the first place,” said Rep. Joseph. “If you want to reduce teen pregnancy, give young people accurate information, access to contraception, healthcare, and the support they need. Abstinence-only education is not a substitute for evidence-based healthcare.”

The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program was established in 2010 with bipartisan congressional support and has historically focused on evidence-based approaches to reducing unintended pregnancies among adolescents. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the national teen pregnancy rate has fallen dramatically over the past several decades, with increased contraceptive use playing a significant role in that decline.

Joseph said the federal cuts are particularly concerning as Colorado lawmakers consider additional protections for young people and reproductive healthcare. She is exploring potential legislation to strengthen abortion access and ensure that young people facing pregnancy have meaningful access to healthcare and reproductive options.

The cuts also highlight what Joseph sees as a broader contradiction in the national debate over reproductive rights.

“If you are going to tell women and young people that they should have babies, then you have a responsibility to make sure they can actually afford to raise those children,” Joseph said. “We are seeing efforts to cut social services, make healthcare less accessible, leave families struggling with medical debt, and make childbirth and childcare unaffordable. You cannot demand that people have children while refusing to provide the support families need to thrive.”

Joseph said supporting families must mean more than restricting abortion access.

“Being pro-family should mean making sure families have healthcare, affordable childcare, housing, paid leave, education, and economic security,” Joseph said. “Young people deserve the freedom to make informed decisions about their bodies and their futures. Politicians should not be making those decisions for them.”